Source: UN News: Wednesday, January 28, 2026 00:01 AM
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has warned that violently suppressing the protesters who took to the streets to protest in Iran will not solve the country’s problems, but will only create conditions for human rights violations, instability and more bloodshed. During a special session of the Human Rights Council on the situation in Iran on Friday, information was given about the repressive action taken against protesters in several cities. Volker Turk, while addressing the session, expressed concern that the detained protesters are likely to be given the death penalty. Tweet URL
High Commissioner Turk said that the action of security forces intensified after January 8 to suppress these protests, in which there are reports of thousands of people, including children, being killed. It is proving difficult to confirm the actual figures due to the communication blockade. It is noteworthy that on December 28, 2025, a group of shopkeepers gathered in the Grand Bazaar of the capital Tehran to protest against the sharp decline in the Iranian currency and rising inflation. Iran is going through a deep economic recession and the living conditions of normal life are continuously deteriorating. After this. Within days, the protests spread to other cities across the country and escalated into widespread anti-government demonstrations, with protesters calling for the fall of the government and demanding freedom, dignity and human rights. High Commissioner Turk said that the killings on the streets of Iran may have started to stop, but the brutality still continues. “We have received indications that security forces have made large-scale mass arrests in several cities. Injured people have been chased to hospitals, lawyers, human rights defenders, activists and ordinary citizens have been detained.” He said that violent crackdown will not solve any of Iran’s problems, But this will only lead to further violations, instability and bloodshed. Urging accountability The human rights chief said criminal cases have been filed against athletes, actors, people in the film industry, and cafe owners, among others, accused of supporting the protests. He called on the Iranian authorities to reconsider their decisions, step back, end long sentences and end the brutal repression. Is of. Also, the systematic closure of the Internet and communication media will have to be stopped. Volker Turk said that those who have been arbitrarily detained will have to be released immediately. And there must be a complete voluntary moratorium on the death penalty. Calling for accountability, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that there has been a past impunity for human rights violations in Iran, and this is fueling suffering and tension there. In view of this, he called for independent investigations into human rights violations, in line with international standards.
